Anita Ticar, mother of Philippine Military Academy (PMA) “Siklab-Laya” Class of 2025 valedictorian and Army 2nd Lieutenant Jessie Ticar Jr., said her son entered the academy with the goal to lift their family out of poverty.
Now that her son has exceeded expectations, she prays that he and the other 265 graduates will serve the country well.
“I hope for the Lord’s guidance for you to serve the country,” Mrs. Ticar said in a media interview on the sidelines of the graduation rites at Fort del Pilar in Baguio City on Saturday.
“I’m so proud of him. I thank the Lord for guiding him,” she added.
The 23-year-old Jessie, a former engineering student at a state university in Manila, viewed the PMA as a means to support his family after his father, a former cab driver, suffered a stroke.
He made history at the PMA by achieving the highest grade point average ever recorded—9.52 percent—earning him the distinction of being only the fourth summa cum laude in the academy’s history since its establishment in 1898.
“This is the result of your hard work. During your stay in the academy, you exhibited traits of a modern-day Philippine soldier under a New Philippines,” PMA Superintendent Vice Admiral Caesar Bernard Valencia said during the graduation ceremony attended by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.
Valencia said the class faced numerous challenges since entering the academy in 2021. In addition to the rigorous physical and academic demands, they also had to endure the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which kept them from seeing their loved ones in person.
“The shift from civilian to military life is difficult. In the four years that they were with us, we molded and nurtured them to be the best versions of themselves, ready to serve the country,” he said.
“They have made a mark in the academy’s history. They have many stories to tell, stories of resilience, stories of triumphs versus adversity,” Valencia added.
Jessie embraced the challenges he and his mistahs weathered throughout their PMA journey. In his speech on Saturday, he said they are ready to serve and defend the country as they pledged during their graduation day.
“In a world that is trying to change us, may we stand firm and change the world instead,” he said.